7/27/2018

CYBERWAR/ELECTION/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/SOCIAL MEDIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “With the midterm election only a few months away, government officials working to counter election interference from Russia have been operating with no strategy from the top, including from President Donald Trump’s fractured National Security Council, leaving each agency to fend for itself without White House support or direction, according to lawmakers and national security officials who spoke with CNN. On Friday [7-27-18], following bipartisan criticism about the White House’s focus on pressuring Russia on election interference, Trump is expected to convene a meeting of the NSC to discuss election interference efforts where high-ranking officials including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are expected to attend. Further details, including Trump’s planned remarks, weren’t available. Defense of America’s electoral system has traditionally centered around the security of election infrastructure, like voting machines and voter rolls. However, as indictments from special counsel Robert Mueller allege, Russian operatives also seek to exploit weaknesses in the cyber infrastructure of individual political campaigns, while weaponizing social media platforms to spread targeted disinformation.”

Jenna McLaughlin and Donie O’Sullivan, “Lacking direction from White House, intelligence agencies scramble to protect midterm elections from hackers,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, July 27, 2018 9:24 am